In this book, Charlie Craven takes a no BS approach in introducing the reader to the art of fly tying. Like many fly tiers, I am mostly self-taught. I like to think I’ve done pretty well for myself. I certainly can’t take all of the credit for the techniques I’ve figured out at the vise, […]

Here at Hatches, we’re always on the lookout for interesting fly patterns. Probably the single greatest resource we have at our disposal for finding them is the Fly Pattern Database (which has grown to over 10,000 fly patterns!). No where else on the web can one find a greater archive of fly patterns, and we would like to thank everyone who has contributed to it. To express our great appreciation, and to make sure “older” patterns aren’t forgotten, we have decided to highlight three fly patterns from the database each week. We’ll share the best of the best, from the past to the present.

GLOBE PEQUOT ( THE LYONS PRESS, FALCON), November 1997 Binding Type: Hardcover Retail Price: $16.95 at the Hatches Store ISBN: 1-55821-067-9 “The trout’s biggest advantage is selectivity, and we can counteract it only by knowing the insects that make up his diet. This is the reason for the study of stream entomology by the angler, […]

Sand Creek is a pretty little piece of trout water that harbors some very fussy fish. Clear water in a small creek demands a quiet approach; casting from the bank is a good strategy when fishing small flies to springtime trout. Photo by Russ Forney Springtime in Wyoming can be pretty elusive. Just when the […]

The story of the Adams begins just 12 miles south of Traverse City, Michigan, off County Road 611 in the small township of Mayfield. It was here, in 1922, at the Mayfield Pond where Leonard Halladay created the famous Adams fly.

Have you ever been ambushed by an idea? Not a mere suggestion or nagging intuition, but a full force, frontal assault of the psyche. Somewhere in our move to Wyoming four years ago and while exploring the surrounding hills, I was smitten by the notion of dying fly tying materials with flower pigments. The relentless “what if” that plagues an otherwise sound mind propelled excursions to identify, collect, and extract pigments from wildflowers. It is hard to grasp the logic of such behavior as it may not exist; the idea just showed up one day and would not be persuaded to leave.

In this article, Terje shares an excellent step-by-step on how to create a woven body using what many refer to as the “granny weave”. To help illustrate the weaving process, Terje has used heavy strands of antron yarn. Using larger bundles of yarn may help also help the beginner who is first learning how to […]